I am trying to learn poker as new "brain" hobby, but I don't have a casino that is convenient and I don't want to play for real money online (I'm not very clear on the legalities). I've realized that anywhere you play for pretend money, you don't really learn much and people play very recklessly. Are there any poker games, software, programs, apps, etc... that provide a close to realistic approximation of what you might face in a real cash game or tournament? My goal is to play live at a casino eventually (maybe in conjunction with a trip to Las Vegas), but I don't want to get crushed right away...

There are plenty of apps that you can get for your computer, phone, or tablet of choice that can let you practice against the computer. As you say, though, without some skin in the game it just isn't the same and you'll never get the same feeling unless you have real money on the line. You also have the problem that most AI play differently than people will, and might not be an accurate representation. My advice would probably be to search for well-rate software and use that to learn the basics while reading up on the strategy of the game as a beginning. Once you do well against the computer, try to find local tournaments that have a set buy-in so that your losses are limited. Do some of those to get the hang of playing with and against people before finding cash tables. If/when you move up to cash tables it's very easy to keep buying more chips so have some mechanism to limit your spending. I've done cash tables on cruises and the urge to buy more chips, especially if you lose a lot due to a bad beat early, is REALLY hard to resist ("oh, I didn't get a fair chance, just one more time...")

Yeah, you won't learn to control your ticks - or the vomit that comes up when you are trying to decide whether to push in your stack until you are playing a real, live game. "act cool act cool, straight flush, straight flush, don't let nobody know you are going to destroy them, shit, everyone folded"

Depending on your state, online may be available legally. Otherwise it is not possible for an American to play online from within the United States. You will only learn by playing for real money and most decent players now learn online if they can because of a much greater rate of hands per unit time. Play money or computer stimulated gsmes without money at stake is either of no value or worse as you might get a false sense of confidence. You need to decide whether you want to play cash games or tournaments as the play differs. You should learn both though.

As GoodListner suggested - Play online for pennies. You will learn much faster.

Live poker is different game - just let the Dealer know your new and learning and they will help you as much as allowed.

I love playing poker for fun and have been since the 90's when we started playing along the Gulf Coast.

Go to Cards Chat and use there free program on odds and pot odds, etc. All good stuff and since you are interested in the "brain" side of the game - that is a good thing as most all decisions have a mathematical basis to determine the right play.

Also go to twoplustwo

Combining the math with "reads" and playing with people who are unpredictable is for me the allure of the game.
Plus as a hobby that can actually be low cost or even make a little bit - that is not a bad thing.

I am trying to learn poker as new "brain" hobby, but I don't have a casino that is convenient and I don't want to play for real money online (I'm not very clear on the legalities). I've realized that anywhere you play for pretend money, you don't really learn much and people play very recklessly. Are there any poker games, software, programs, apps, etc... that provide a close to realistic approximation of what you might face in a real cash game or tournament? My goal is to play live at a casino eventually (maybe in conjunction with a trip to Las Vegas), but I don't want to get crushed right away...

Definitely playing with friends helps too because you need to know how to read people and work on a "poker face". Plus it's a fun social thing to do.

You'll probably get crushed regardless in Vegas My friend used to teach out there and a lot of his students parents were professional gamblers. They weren't the type you see in on tv, but the type who would sit next to tourists like us and clean up.

You'll probably get crushed regardless in Vegas My friend used to teach out there and a lot of his students parents were professional gamblers. They weren't the type you see in on tv, but the type who would sit next to tourists like us and clean up.

Yep. There's a sucker at every table and if you can't tell who it is, it's you. I may have mangled the saying a little, but it's definitely true.

As you advance from a beginner to professional poker player, the game is quite different and changes. Aside from going through the different levels, I don't think there is a shortcut. The basic play of poker is the easy part that you probably already know. The difficult part and skill involved in poker is identifying the type of player you're up against and playing optimally against them. It's getting even more difficult as AI tries to get in the game. And while there might be a theoretical optimal play the AI can calculate, players provide and use additional information that's not even entered in the AI calculus. Makes the game more interesting. There's a lot more going on in these advanced games than you initially see and most players never develop all the required skills. I certainly haven't, and one thing that's deterred me is the grueling hours and fatigue. Sure it's fun to play a couple of hours, but dozens? Not my cup of tea.

I don't think you can find any software to approximate the real thing because when real money is on the line you have emotions like fear, courage, and greed that come into play. I don't think a program can be made to capture those emotions. I played once a week for a while but got tired of it. Too many bad beats. You hear on TV all the time that so and so has x- million in career earnings but nobody ever hears how much in career losses they have. A guy can win a million at a tournament but if he loses it all in cash games then he hasn't won a thing IMO. I hear of pros that go on losing streaks for weeks or months and they play almost every day. If the occasional player would have such a losing streak I imagine it could go on for a year or more. Some players take up poker and they catch a hot streak right at the beginning so they want to move up in stakes and just as they do that the cards change and they lose all their previous winnings.

OP: if you are looking for a "brain hobby" I will suggest that, while not ideal, it's fine to play for pretend money where people play recklessly. The brainy parts of the game are 1) some fairly simple math, and 2) sizing up your opponents. You do this not by looking deep into their eyes or recognizing that their left thumb moves a different way when they're bluffing. You do it by remembering and recognizing their betting patterns. It is, however, a problem at free or low-stakes tables when people call and raise everything. I think it would be more valuable and rewarding to find a group that has a common understanding they they will play seriously even if the stakes are low.